Ayrton Senna’s Grand Prix-Winning Formula One Car Is Going to Auction
Senna’s famous McLaren F1 car will head back to Monaco in May and sell for a hefty price.
Ayrton Senna's legendary McLaren Formula One car that won him the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix is hitting the auction block at Bonhams' Monaco auction later this year.
Twenty-five years ago, Senna picked up his sixth victory at Monaco in a McLaren MP4/8A, specifically chassis number six. Since it was powered by a Ford-Cosworth V8 engine making 680-horsepower, Senna originally despised the car because it wasn't as powerful as the Renault V-10s used in his rival's car, driven by Alain Prost. However, the McLaren's high-tech suspension system made it handle better than the Renault vehicles and brought Senna to victory.
Senna raced this car in eight Grand Prix races during the 1993 Formula 1 World Championship season alone, seeing action at tracks like Spa-Francorchamps, Hockenheim, and Silverstone. "[The] MP4/8A was the car with which his team, McLaren, surpassed Ferrari as the most successful team in Formula 1 World Championship history," said Mark Osborne, Bonhams Global Head of Motorsport. "This particular chassis, number 6 [sic], cemented Senna's legend as The Master of Monaco."
Now Senna's famous McLaren is returning to Monte Carlo on the 25th anniversary of the famous race to be sold at Bonhams' "Les Grandes Marques Á Monaco" auction. Bonhams won't reveal an asking price yet, but famous F1 cars definitely aren't cheap.
The auction will take place May 11, but this McLaren will also be on display at Le Grand Palais in Paris Feb. 6-8.
